


My Soul Within Me Burning

by twosuns



Series: How He Found Out series [5]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: (but no character hate here), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bellarke, F/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Season/Series 05, S6 soulmates AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, background becho as the story picks up after 5x13, no primes no anomaly, otp: the heart + the head, otp: together, peace on sanctum, supportive!Clarke, torn!Bellamy, two broken hearted fools
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22038835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twosuns/pseuds/twosuns
Summary: "You can either burn in love, or burn for love: but you can not escape the fire." -parthBellarke + Soulmates. Canon up to 5x13: a season six AU where soulmate-identifying marks exist on Sanctum. No primes, no anomaly + Gabriel survived the snap.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake/Clarke Griffin
Series: How He Found Out series [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1283420
Comments: 16
Kudos: 201





	My Soul Within Me Burning

**Author's Note:**

> By the end of S5, I felt like we'd had *tiny* glimpses of a Bellamy that was torn between respecting the relationship & feelings he and Echo built in space (& keeping promises he made to her)... and the fact that he was still completely in love with the woman he thought was lost forever. 
> 
> When I decided to write an AU before S6 aired, that's the part of the story I wanted to explore further: that conflict between Bellamy's heart + head, and how it might impact Clarke (who, still feeling remorseful from S5, is trying to remain a supportive best friend). Two fools trying desperately not to love each other: this is what I ended up with. Happy 2020 everybody! ✨

"We know you're eager to have your people settled. The last of the arrangements will be ready within the hour." the Sanctum colony leader, Gabriel Santiago, stands from his seat at the meeting table as he reassures their new-found friends from Earth.

  
Bellamy, Clarke and their team start to follow suit when the charismatic man speaks again: 

"I'm sorry but there is one more point to discuss before you go back to your people. Now that you are officially staying on Sanctum: you should be aware of an inherent… side effect of living here.”  
  
He hesitates. Off side: Clarke and Bellamy shoot each other a knowing look. 

_ There's always a catch. _

  
"As you spend more time on the moon’s surface, your people will notice very _ specific _ markings on their skin. Something that looks similar to a birthmark or tattoo. Completely harmless." he rushes to add the last detail, looking to the alarmed faces around him, “The markings won’t hurt you... but they are an unavoidable part of living here.”  
  
"What kind of a marking? Are you saying the planet's atmosphere is going to have a reaction with our skin?" these questions come from Abby, who is standing along with Jackson mirroring her concern.  
  
"No, no... nothing like that." Gabriel offers a reassuring smile and gestures for Abby to sit again, trying to lighten his tone. “We call it a _ ‘soulmark’ _. Though we aren't sure of the science behind it, these markings have appeared on almost every adult in our midst for generations. Our elders believe that the moon’s unique energy can sense when two souls are meant to be together: and it gifts both parties with a mark to help them unite."

“What: so you match up your alien tattoo and you find your _ soulmate _?” Murphy pipes up, clearly not buying it. “Then what? You and this total stranger live happily ever after?”

Gabriel laughs, already finding Murphy’s chip-on-his-shoulder attitude endearing. 

“Yes Mister Murphy, that’s pretty much the idea. The soulmark takes anywhere from a few weeks to months to appear. Rarely, some people don't get one at all. But for those us lucky enough to have one: our medical team has a _ voluntary _registry that your people are welcome to join, at their discretion.”

Sensing a tension overtake the room, he continues: 

“Whether or not to investigate a soulmark is the decision of each person. Some never seek out their other half, or choose a life without them after they meet. All I’ll tell you is: I haven’t ever come across a matched couple that was _ unhappy _ with their decision to be together.”

He adds one more time, trying to reassure them: “The choice is completely yours to make.”

The earth leaders look to each other, trying to process what they’ve been told. 

After a moment of awkward silence, Jackson strikes up an unrelated conversation about the cryosleep pods and the group starts to talk settlement proceedings amongst themselves: grateful for a change in topic. 

As Raven explains their dropship plan for the for the following day, Clarke feels someone’s gaze on her. Looking around the room, she’s suddenly staring into Bellamy’s waiting eyes… she tries to give him a reassuring smile. 

He hesitates, but nods.. and she could swear a curious expression darts across his features: but it’s gone as soon as she (imagines?) seeing it. 

-

It’s two days later and having relocated their last group from cryosleep, Clarke and Bellamy are going through plans one last time: trying to figure out their next move. Or at least that’s their intention when the two of them make their way to the dropship bridge (and their neglected mountain of research).

But having some rare time to themselves, the two have fallen into pleasant conversation and an unhurried pace... all but forgetting any urgency for the task at hand.

“This whole soulmark thing is kind of crazy, isn't it?” Bellamy abruptly changes the subject, speaking with a nervous tone that makes Clarke turn to face him. “I’m not sure how I feel about some primordial force telling me who I’m meant to spend my life with.”

Clarke smiles, this doesn’t surprise her. Bellamy has always been a master of his own fate: not one to leave his life in the hands of others. He had more than enough of that during his years on the Ark.

“Even if you get a soulmark, it doesn’t mean anything Bellamy. You still get to decide how you want to live your life.” she turns back to the work in front of them. “Besides, they said it could take months to show up, if we even get them at all.”

Bellamy shakes his head with a poor attempt at a chuckle,

“Or not.”

Clarke freezes. Then whirls around to face him again, something resembling apprehension on her face. “Are you saying… do you have one _ already _?”

Bellamy nods, his hand going to his side again. Clarke, distracted now, takes a beat to consider her reply… before deliberately turning her back to him to continue. “Well, somebody had to be first, right? Echo must be thrilled.”

When Bellamy doesn’t respond, she peers at him: he’s fidgeting with the corner of his sleeve, eyes on the ground. He doesn’t have to say it. 

“Echo _ would _ be thrilled, but she doesn’t have one yet.”

When silence is his only answer, Clarke closes the distance and settles next to Bellamy leaning against in the console. She hates to see him like this: beating himself up over something completely out of his control. She lays a comforting hand on his shoulder and tries to reassure him. 

“It could still happen Bellamy, Gabriel said these things can take time. Until you know exactly what you’re dealing with: don’t let this ruin all the_ good _ you two have.”

She squeezes his hand and tries to meet him with a half-smile. “You don’t need some _ alien tattoo _ to tell you how you feel about her, right?”

Finally Bellamy relents, accepting her words and already looking a little brighter. He nods and squeezes her hand back in a silent _thank_ _you_, before standing up and resuming work on the plans in front of them. 

“I guess if I was going to get it, I’m glad I didn’t have to wait any longer... that spot on my hip has been aching for weeks. That stopped once I woke up with this thing, at least.”

With his attention elsewhere, Bellamy doesn’t see the reaction on Clarke’s face... or the measured breath she takes before asking, “Your soulmark is on your _ hip_?”

“Yeah.” 

Clarke is grateful to muster a look of calm before Bellamy looks up. He pulls aside his jacket and waistband just enough to see the new lines adorning his side. As Gabriel had said: it was the same shade as a birthmark, but in a design so pronounced that it looked like a tattoo. 

Clarke’s hand reached out and hovered over the design, retracing the pattern in her mind: “Two suns.”

She remembers the first moments they saw their new home on the bridge together: the sense of awe when the second sun peeked over the horizon, the feeling that on this new world: anything was possible. "It's beautiful."

Bellamy laughs and playfully nudges her shoulder. “I was hoping it looked kind of badass, but sure, beautiful… thanks." 

Clarke is thankful for the humour to veer them back to casual conversation, but she no sooner returns her attention to their work before Bellamy asks a little too nonchalantly: “So you don’t have one yet, then?”

She takes in another deep breath, trying not to let herself think about what a small detail like that could do to change things between them. She shakes her head and responds, trying to lighten her voice: “You might remember, I haven’t had the best of luck with romance. For some of us I think the ship has sailed for happy endings in that area. ” 

His face falls- she could almost swear- but like before: the expression is gone as soon as she can register whether or not it’s happening. 

"Right, yeah, I just thought it might be a 'grew up in space' thing."

He changes the topic, back to building plans and trade offers and they quickly settle back into their routine of co-leaders at work. 

-

It’s a few months later before the subject of soulmarks is brought up again. 

Despite being on good terms with the locals, Earthkru had run into their share of disasters and misfortune to keep them busy. On this particular occasion: Bellamy took some of the guard to scout for supplies, only to run into a pack of angry wolf-like animals. It was late before they got back to camp, and even later before Clarke could convince Bellamy to let her tend to his injuries. Not until every one of his men (and his sister) were checked, looked after and sent home.

_ For the most part, he’s lucky. _Clarke thinks as she assesses the damage. A few nasty-looking cuts, albeit mostly superficial, and some bruises were the worst of his injuries… save for one deep scratch on his side. Thanks to her working with Sanctum's medical team, Clarke knows to use several vials of local remedies to cure him of infection, but she still needs to dress the wound. 

As she gently cleans around the gash, her hands brush ever so slightly over the lines of Bellamy’s soulmark. He stifles a sharp intake of breath and his hand flies over hers to still her movements. 

Clarke looks to him concerned, checking his expression for signs of pain.

“I’m sorry, this must still be pretty tender. Do you need me to stop?”

After a beat Bellamy shakes his head without looking at her, silently urging her to finish quickly. With practiced precision: Clarke finishes cleaning the wound and dresses it in a few moments. He is still frozen looking away.

Satisfied with her work, she turns away to wash his blood from her hands.

“Are you feeling okay otherwise? Any pain you’re not telling me about?” she asks incredulously. 

Bellamy shifts, having mostly regained his composure, but he’s fidgeting again as he quietly admits: “There is one thing.”

She raises a brow, silently gesturing for more detail.

“I was hoping you could reach out to the elder healers... ask if they’ve heard of these soulmarks having other side effects?”

Clarke has her full attention on him immediately. Her eyes fall to his hip, concerned.

“What kind of side effects?”

Bellamy bites his lip and looks down at his mostly covered soulmark, “It’s a pain… a burning sensation coming from the lines of the design. Some days it’s almost not noticeable, just a dull ache… but especially lately, it feels like it’s on fire.”

He doesn’t tell her that he’s _ mostly _ worried about the person wearing the other mark and what the sensation might mean. 

He doesn’t tell her that he's having more and more nightmares of a world on fire, when he wakes up screaming from the pain it invokes.

He doesn't know how to describe the new sense of heartache coming from somewhere... unfamiliar. The physical discomfort is nothing he can’t handle: it's the _ unknown _ surrounding this mark, and the person it connects him to, that has him increasingly concerned.

Clarke listens carefully (to what he _ does _ tell her) and nods, promising to ask the elders at their next session. They hadn’t mentioned anything about pain associated with this phenomenon, but who knows what they may not have been inclined to share. 

The paranoid part of Clarke still believes the whole thing is a little too good to be true... a feeling perhaps born from her days living on earth.

Before Bellamy leaves, the two of them discuss the latest news of the family: Miller and Jackson got their soulmarks last week. They came in at the same time, matching to a tee. Miller wasn’t too keen on the idea one way or another, but Jackson hasn’t wasted any time showing off the elaborate design now adorning his forearm. 

“There’s still nothing to say Echo’s won’t match yours. We don’t know that it couldn’t come in later, Bellamy.” Clarke tries to reassure him when she sees the apprehension on his face.

“Clarke come on… _ every _ other match we’ve seen, the soulmarks came in at the same time.”

Clarke worries her lip. He’s not wrong. 

In the last few weeks, more and more people have been reporting soulmarks… and every match they’ve found has been an identical mark, in an identical location, that appeared at the same time for both parties.

_ And matching marks have only been on two people, no more. _ Clarke can't help but recall.

“You don’t know that it still won't happen.” she tries to point out.

“But what if it doesn’t?” he counters.

“Exactly.” she raises an eyebrow pointedly, “So _ what _ if it doesn’t match? It’s like Gabriel said: not everyone feels like they need to go looking for the other match to their soulmark. You know Murphy isn’t interested in this whole thing. And my Mom and Kane don’t match, but they don’t want to be anything but together.”

Bellamy looks down at his hands. He knows she’s right, but he still can’t shake a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

Clarke stands right in front of him, levelling with his eyes before she continues.

“Bellamy…. you _ know _ who it is that you love-”

She means to go on, but something breaks in his eyes as she speaks. Something that Clarke _ definitely _ sees shift, this time. For a few moments there isn’t a sound in the world and they hold each other’s gaze.

“...people don’t need a soulmark to know they are meant to be together.” she whispers, and looks down.

The spell broken: he sighs and nods in agreeance. He thanks her for listening, tells Clarke that he feels a little better about it all… but deep down he knows that neither he or Echo are sure of anything between them anymore.

He asks Clarke again if she’s had a soulmark appear.

“Like I said,” she says as she puts away her supplies, “I don’t think my soulmate is in the cards for me.”

-

The Elders come by the medical team every few weeks, offering insights as needed to help keep the people of Sanctum safe. Their meetings are heavily structured as a brief exchange of information: impersonal and to-the-point… but this time Gabriel was able to arrange a meeting for Clarke afterwards, at her request.

As she waits for the others filing out of the room, Clarke shuffles on her feet nervously. She had reassured Bellamy before, but the truth is she's concerned. There was so much they didn’t know about these soulmarks still, what if his pain was getting worse for a reason? What if the process was different for those from earth and the connection was dangerous?

The last of the medical team file out and the door is quietly shut, leaving Clarke alone with the four plainly-dressed Elder Healers. She gives them a customary head-bow and approaches, explaining her concerns about Bellamy and his soulmark.

“This man was the first among you to receive the mark?” the female of the four asks, lost in thought and not looking directly at Clarke.

“He was, yes.”

“Your friend is a lucky man,” the tallest of them says, with a marked level of enthusiasm. “Only the strongest of connections bloom such an early marking… a bond so rare brings with it something more.”

Clarke’s brow furrows and she turns her head questioningly. 

The oldest of them is next to chime in: “Soulmarks connect two people in an arguably spiritual way. The same energy on this moon that creates the marks: it binds those souls to one another through its force.”

Seeing he's lost her, the man tries again, “The marks _ physically _ connects two people on a _ metaphysical _ level.”

Another one of the four interrupts, “So if a marked person is overjoyed or experiencing pain, it can trigger the other’s soulmark to feel those things along with them.” 

Clarke’s outrage for not being warned must be obvious, because he adds:

“We don’t make a point of telling our people because the connection needed is so strong. It’s an incredibly rare effect... but your friend is not the first to experience it. We believe there is much more to these early soulmarks… other mental boundaries that the bond can push between two people… but such things are traditionally kept private between partners. Not much is known beyond that.”

Clarke takes a beat to try and absorb what they are telling her. The first Elder, the woman, finally makes eye contact: and there’s an intensity to her stare that feels like she’s looking right through her.

“It is important that this Bellamy finds his other half and discuss the source of the pain, before it grows much stronger. It would be _ unwise _ to push his connection to break those boundaries, in an effort to bring them together itself.”

Still struggling to find the right words, Clarke merely nods and politely thanks the Elders for their time. She spends that night tossing and turning, trying to make sense of this circumstance that feels more like science fiction every day. 

  
  
  


Bellamy finds her coming out of medical the next afternoon, clearly anxious for answers. He asks if the elders had anything to offer, and Clarke is ready with her response.

“They said…” she takes a deep breath and tries to keep her voice even, “They said everything’s fine Bellamy. It's all perfectly normal and should fade in time. No need for concern.”

She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. He gives her a look as though he’s ready to say more... but instead he searches her face for something.

  
_ He knows when I’m lying. _ She thinks, but keeps her expression as even as she can.  
  
She can tell he’s frustrated, unconvinced… but he relents without asking anything more. Instead he offers her forced smile and thanks her a little too-politely for her help. 

-

It’s another few months later, and the people of Earth are fully moved into their new settlement. Preparations are starting to get underway for a Unity Day celebration to commemorate a year since their arrival, in another month's time, and both communities are talking about it. The Sanctum and Earth people are learning to live and work together, a quieter time of year allowing them to connect and build relations with one another.

On the topic of connections: most of Earthkru have had their soulmarks come in now. Medical was getting more and more requests to be added to the registry, some days Clarke felt more like a matchmaker than a healer. Jordan, Raven, Octavia and Emori had all seen one come in over the last month… Murphy still refuses to humor the situation at all.

Echo had woken up to her soulmark this morning: prompting Bellamy’s sudden visit and pacing around her workspace. It was still early in the day, Clarke had cleared the room immediately when she saw his expression.

As life became routine and allowed their family time to finally _ stop _: Bellamy had been increasingly on edge. His patience was thinner than usual and everyone in their group had noticed there was something weighing on him that he wasn’t ready to talk about. But today was different: today he’d all but burst into medical and had immediately called her name in a way that was different… desperate.

“It doesn’t match Clarke.” they are alone now as he explains, running his hands through his hair. His voice is shaking. “It doesn’t match and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do here, what’s the right thing to do?”

His tone reminds her of a time years ago: a young man leaned against a tree, afraid that he was doing all the wrong things. She tries to reach out but stops short, thinking better of it.

“Bellamy, we’ve talked about this. It doesn’t mean anything-”

“No it _does_.” Bellamy cuts her off without thinking, and he actually sounds... angry? “It _does_ mean something Clarke: it means that there’s _someone_ else out there that _the_ _universe_ _knows_ we're meant to be with."

He stands up and takes a deep breath to calm his harsh tone. After a minute, he starts to speak again but quieter this time. 

“I promised her nothing would change for us on the ground, but what if there is someone else out there for her?”

Bellamy sits on the edge of the desk and buries his face in his hands, defeated. 

“Our people are all so happy with their match… _ all of them, _ Clarke. What if I’m holding her back? What if her _ soulmate _ is out there, _ loving _ her, and she’ll never know it because we stayed together?”

Clarke hears his composure break, and carefully risks sitting next to him. As a few tears sneak past his defenses and drop onto his lap, she can't stop herself and places a hand on his knee comfortingly. Right away, he takes her hand in his and squeezes tight: his pained and vulnerable eyes holding hers hostage.

“What if…. there’s someone else that_ I’m _ supposed to be with?”

The question hangs between them, neither brave enough to shift their gaze or say a word. Years of unspoken looks and half-truths suddenly come to mind: their history _ feels _ suspended in the silence between them. He looks into her eyes like he's pleading with her.

His words nearly break her resolve: but she reminds herself that his concern is for Echo. He’s not talking about them.

“You have to follow your heart Bellamy,” she finally manages to choke out, her voice more steady than it had a right to be. “you both do.” 

He considers her words and stays silent.

“On some level you and Echo know how you feel about this. All you can do is let yourself follow that truth. Don’t let what you think you _ should _ feel get in the way… just speak from the heart, whatever it is."

Bellamy nods, but holds her gaze in the same kind of way the female elder did those months ago. She feels exposed: like suddenly he can see right through her.

“Is that what you’re going to do? When you’re sitting next to _ your _ soulmate?” he asks, his expression piercing and holding her hostage.

With all she has in her: Clarke drops her hands from his and clears her throat, starting back into her work.

Feeling his eyes still trained on her, she mirrors the words she’s told him so many times before. “Like I've said... soulmates aren’t on the table for everyone, Bellamy.”

-

It's only days from the one-year anniversary of their arrival on Sanctum, and it's hard for Clarke to believe that it’s already been so long. It feels like only yesterday they all stepped out into this new world together. 

Adjusting to this place hadn’t been easy, but generally those from Earth are feeling more at home. It warms Clarke’s heart to see their people getting to experience the kind of peaceful life she and Madi had once known in Eden. 

Farmers, healers, teachers, artists… here they are all free to embrace a life that doesn't have to be about surviving. People who never thought they would see eye to eye have suddenly found new family in each other. There was a shift in their community as Earthkru grew into the people they were (maybe always) meant to be.

A surprising number of in their midst had found their match in Sanctum settlers, adding an influx of new faces and stories to their mix. Rumours about the soulmarks were still as strong as ever: word somehow getting around that they could be more than just tattoos… but mostly people chalked up the gossip to old wives’ tales.

A few days after Echo’s soulmark came in: and after several nights of heartfelt confessions and heavy conversation, she and Bellamy made the decision to end things romantically. They would always be family to each other, but the two had made a point to give the other some space while they figured out what was next for them. Both having entered themselves in the database: Echo found her match in local man who worked as an Engineer. They only recently met, but she already seems lighter when he’s around. 

Bellamy had seen them together for the first time and shared a genuine smile with Echo across the room: he truly couldn’t be happier for her.

Clarke had been making an effort to put distance between she and Bellamy as well: her feelings embarrassingly close to the surface since he told her about Echo. She hated that part of herself that silently lit up at the news, and she was finding it more and more difficult to stifle it when he was around.

Before: it had been second nature to shut those feelings away, knowing that their people needed leadership above all else. And when Bellamy had been so clearly out of reach, happy in the arms of someone else: Clarke had promised herself she would find a way to be the close friend as he had always been for her. It made it easier to ignore the effect he had on her.

But now things were different, and it was like her body and mind had given itself permission to feel for Bellamy again: without Clarke having any control over it. Thoughts of him snuck into her mind when she was trying to work, trying to sleep... the nightmares that usually plagued her dreams had been replaced with versions of him and all the things she was burning to say out loud.

And though there was less tension than ever between them, physically being near Bellamy was becoming difficult in a whole new way. After so many years alone, her stubborn body was craving contact and responded _every_ time he brushed against her, or reached out to her without thinking. His touch left a trail of fire behind him, and its effect was nearly impossible to hide. 

There had been one instance last week where a busy crowd had knocked him flush against her, and though Bellamy had missed her shudder and darkened expression, Murphy had shot her a knowing smirk beside them. 

So she was keeping her distance. She's assigned herself to different projects and was busying herself in lab work. Anything to try and keep her mind off Bellamy and the burning suns on his hip.

It's just another day. Late in the afternoon in medical and Clarke is filling the last of her blood samples into their respective tests, when the pain hits her.

She growls and reaches for her hip as a searing pain radiates through her body. What the hell was going-

Panic takes over as she realizes the pain isn't her own... and she takes off running to the dropship, without a thought to the agonizing throb it causes to her side.

"Where's Bellamy!?" She yells, bursting into the bridge without warning.

Her friends, obviously in the middle of something, turn to her all at once with alarm. They all look puzzled to each other, while Echo and Murphy are first at her side.

"Clarke, what's wrong?" Echo asks carefully, trying to calm her down.

Another wave of pain tears through Clarke, but she stifles it with a groan and asks again: "_ Where _ is he?"

"He's scouting with a hunting party, why?" This comes quickly from Murphy; who is on alert and already worried, recognizing the panic in Clarke's voice

A stronger wave hits her and this time Clarke can't hide the effect. She doubles over in pain again, yelling out and clutching her side… but fights to stalk across the room to her jacket, brushing off her friend's concerned protests. 

“Something’s wrong. We need to go after him, now.”

Still confused, Raven advances on her.

“Radios have been quiet all afternoon how did he contact you? What's going on Clarke?"

Before she can argue, Clarke doubles over again- even worse this time. Fire coming from her hip consistently now: she’s so scared that she could start sobbing.

“It’s her soulmark.” Echo is the one to say it, her eyes fixed on where Clarke has reached for. After months of her staring at Bellamy's hip, wondering what it meant for them: there's no doubt in her mind of its placement.

She gives Clarke a surprised, grateful and heartbroken look all at once... as the implication of it all hits her. Echo thinks back to their late night conversations when Bellamy would recount the times he'd asked Clarke about his soulmark. All the days he went to her for advice and Clarke never said a word… for _ their _ sake. 

Echo puts her arm on Clarke’s, helping her stand. “She’s Bellamy’s match.”

An audible shock ripples through the group. Despite their history, it's hard to believe Clarke could keep this to herself for so long. Though as she's clutching to her side and doubled over in pain: it's clear that Clarke's only priority is still Bellamy.

Echo takes the lead and gestures Murphy to help her with Clarke. "Raven, Emori: we need access to a vehicle and Miller: find Jackson and get him back here. We need to start re-tracing his route NOW.” 

She and the rest of the team take off in different directions, leaving Murphy to help guide Clarke off the bridge. Despite the concern across his face, he smirks and gives her a half-hearted wink.

“Don't worry. We'll find him, _ Princess _.”

-

After nearly an hour of searching, they find the team's vehicle overturned and twisted around a tree. Clarke's blood runs cold as she counts one… two bodies in the distance, broken and not moving. She bursts from the rover and takes off running toward the crash, desperately yelling Bellamy's name. She's vaguely aware of the others around her, tending to the bodies and looking through the vehicle in search of their friend. She keeps yelling his name, barely able to see through the tears now. 

“Clarke!” 

It's almost too quiet to hear, but Clarke freezes as his unmistakable voice reaches her. Frantically she takes off in the direction of his calls, into the think brush of the forest floor… she sobs in relief when she sees him. 

He's leaned against a tree, trying to sit up and meet her eyes in the distance. She shouts for their friends as she runs to him and throws her arms around him tight, crushing her body to his despite the circumstance. He groans, and she immediately pulls away to survey him, noticing for the first time his foot twisted and pinned under a fallen tree limb and his body clearly too tired to move from below it.

“We're going to get you out of here.” she says reassuringly, cupping his _ (beautiful) _ face in her hands. He looks back at her like she's some kind of angel: almost not believing that she was here.

“How did you know to look for me?” he asks as she releases his foot (earning a groan). 

Not answering yet, she sits back up to examine him once more... and without thinking Bellamy reaches out to move a strand of hair away from her face. The small gesture earns an unexpected sob from Clarke.

She shakes her head and wiping away another batch of tears, leans back on her heels. Before he can ask, she's pulling her clothing aside to reveal a familiar embellishment of two suns. 

Bellamy's eyes go wide and suddenly forgetting about his injuries, he instinctively brings his hands to her hip. She is ready to protest, but as soon as his fingertips brush against her soulmark to examine the lines: the words die in her throat. 

The second he makes contact it's like her whole body is humming. Her mind is suddenly swept up in a hundred memories of him, overwhelming her senses with something uniquely _ Bellamy _. She shudders and stills his hand against her mark, the sensation all too much in that moment.

Suddenly she understands his reaction that day after the wolf attack. Suddenly so much makes sense.

Composing herself, Clarke looks into his eyes and they take each other in for a moment… then Bellamy's expression darkens and he pulls her _ hard _ against him into a searing kiss.

They tangle into each other, drawn together in a mess of passion and _ need _ for release. Clarke meets Bellamy's feverish pace and loses herself in the feel of him against her. _ God, it feels so right. _

If their friends are still there, they've clearly realized that nobody's dead and left them be. 

The two don't break apart until finally the pain in his leg hits him again, and Bellamy pulls back with a groan. Refusing to move, he stops only long enough to catch his breath: leaning his forehead against hers.

  
“I knew it was you.” he whispered, as they look into each other's eyes without reservation. “The second I saw it: it always _ had to be you _.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! <3


End file.
